Women’s Accessories

In order to protect your face from the cold and wind burn you can accessorize your ski wardrobe with a neck warmer or gaiter, balaclava or a bandana.

Neck Warmer / Neck Gaiter:

A neck warmer or neck gaiter is essentially a piece of fabric, typically a fleecy material, which is sewn into a tube. You can pull the neck warmer or neck gaiter on over your head and it will keep your neck and the lower part of your face warm. The top of the neck warmer or neck gaiter can be tucked in under your goggles to help keep it in place. Neck warmers or neck gaiters are safer than scarves as they don’t have loose ends which could get caught in your equipment or the chairlift or rope tow when you are skiing.

Balaclava:

The balaclava is essentially a neck gaiter with a head covering. Some balaclavas are are constructed out of a single type of fabric, while others use different fabrics to provide varying degrees of protection. Some balaclavas have a fleece neck and a lighter weight stretch fabric head covering; these are designed to go underneath helmets as they aren’t as bulky as the all fleece styles. Balaclavas designed for the coldest conditions have neoprene face coverings with ventilation holes cut for the nose and mouth.

Bandana:

Another option for keeping your face and neck warm is to use a bandana. This style is typically worn by freestyle skiers and teenagers. Traditional bandanas that you might purchase at the dollar store are made of cotton, when you exhale the moisture from your breath can freeze the bandana making it feel soggy and uncomfortable. Most of the ski bandanas are made from materials that are quick drying to prevent the bandana from freezing. Some of the bandanas available on Skis.com have neoprene facial areas, this gives skiers extra protection from the elements in a cool looking design.

Keep it All Clean

You are definitely going to want to wash your ski apparel over the course of the year, however your standard laundry detergent and dryer sheets can ruin the waterproof coatings on your ski apparel. Use the great range of Nikwax products from base washes to specific wool, down and tech washes to keep all your stuff in great condition. Nikwax cleaners are water based environmentally friendly cleaners meaning they are biodegradable, non flammable and non hazardous.